General Daily Briefing — Monday, 3 August 2026
Good morning. Here is your Monday briefing for 3 August 2026 — six stories shaping Portugal today, from a one-off windfall tax on oil companies to a heatwave pushing almost the whole mainland into maximum fire danger, plus two new practical guides: one on getting a criminal record certificate and another on appointing a fiscal representative.
Requesting a Criminal Record Certificate (Certificado de Registo Criminal) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide
Almost everyone in Portugal needs a Criminal Record Certificate eventually — for a job, a rental, residency or nationality. Our new guide walks through the online portal, the €5 fee, the 90-day validity, the purpose-specific versions, and how to get one from abroad.
Appointing a Fiscal Representative (Representante Fiscal) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide
Non-EU residents with a Portuguese NIF may need a fiscal representative — or, since DL 44/2022, can skip it by enrolling in electronic tax notifications. Our new guide explains the rules, the 15-day deadline and the business exception.
- The Council of Ministers has approved a one-off 33% windfall tax on the slice of oil companies' 2026 profits that runs more than 20% above their 2024–2025 average, with the proceeds earmarked for fuel-price relief and cutting fossil-fuel dependence.
- The Mobility and Transport Fund has opened its first funding calls — about €2 million for urban logistics, taxi decarbonisation and school mobility — the opening slice of a €14.8 million scheme.
- The SNS has retired its two-decade-old SIGIC surgery waiting-list system for a new digital platform, SINACC, alongside new rules for contracting private and social-sector providers.
- The Cabinet has cleared a rolling teacher-hiring contest to fill vacancies faster and extended the school smartphone ban to grades seven to nine, with secondary school now starting on 21 September.
- Portugal's Savings Certificates climb to a 2.474% base rate for August, just under their 2.5% cap.
- A heatwave has pushed almost the entire mainland into maximum fire danger, with highs of 40°C forecast for Santarém and Évora and yellow warnings almost nationwide.
A New 33% Windfall Tax Will Hit Oil Companies' Excess Profits for 2026
The Conselho de Ministros (Council of Ministers) has approved a one-off levy — the Temporary Solidarity Contribution on the Oil Sector — that taxes at 33% the part of a company's 2026 profits running more than 20% above its average for 2024 and 2025. It targets firms that extract and refine crude, must be paid by the end of September 2027, and is ring-fenced to shield vulnerable households and businesses from fuel-price rises and to help cut the country's dependence on fossil fuels.
The Mobility and Transport Fund Launches Its First Calls, Worth Nearly €2 Million
The Fundo para a Mobilidade e Transportes (Mobility and Transport Fund) has opened its first three calls — roughly €1 million for urban logistics, €400,000 to decarbonise the taxi fleet and €100,000 (expandable to €500,000) for school mobility. Run by the Institute for Mobility and Transport under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, it is the opening tranche of a €14.8 million scheme whose later, larger lines cover rail freight, transport stops and national ticketing interoperability.
The SNS Retires Its Two-Decade-Old Surgery Waiting-List System for a New Digital Platform
From 1 August, the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (National Health Service) has replaced the 20-year-old SIGIC with the Sistema Nacional de Gestão do Acesso a Consultas e Cirurgia (SINACC), a new platform for managing access to surgery and, later, consultations and diagnostics. Two accompanying ordinances set fresh rules for contracting private and social-sector providers and require electronic registration of patients — all aimed at giving managers a clearer view of the queues and cutting waiting times.
The Cabinet Clears a Rolling Teacher-Hiring Contest and Extends the School Phone Ban to Ninth Grade
The Council of Ministers has approved a "continuous" teacher-recruitment model, part of a revised Estatuto da Carreira Docente (Teaching Career Statute), meant to fill classroom vacancies faster from the 2026/2027 school year rather than waiting for a fixed annual contest. It also extended the school smartphone ban to the third cycle — grades seven to nine — and pushed the start of secondary school to 21 September to ease pressure on teachers after a fraught exam season.
Portugal's Savings Certificates Climb to a 2.474% Base Rate for August
The base rate on Certificados de Aforro (Savings Certificates) rises to 2.474% in August, up from 2.356% in July and just shy of the 2.5% cap the formula allows. The rate, set monthly by the Treasury and Public Debt Management Agency (IGCP), tracks three-month Euribor; on top of it come permanence bonuses of up to 1.75 points for long-term savers. With a €100 minimum, a full state guarantee and withdrawals allowed after three months, the certificates remain a low-risk home for cash.
A Heatwave Drives Almost the Entire Mainland to Maximum Fire Danger This Week
Every district in the north and centre, plus Faro, sits at maximum fire risk on Monday, with the rest of the mainland rated very high. The Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, or IPMA) has placed all but one district under a yellow warning from 09:00 Monday to 18:00 Tuesday, with highs of 40°C forecast for Santarém and Évora and 37°C for Lisbon. Forecasters expect the elevated danger to persist for much of the week.
